Sercet Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 By "unseen", I really mean without playing them before buying. How many people here have bought a bass unseen and then kept it for several years? I've had a Rickenbacker C64 for 3 years. All the other unseens were sold within a year of purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Although I'd always favour trying before I buy I have done it a bunch of times. Usually gets sold on though & my keepers were ones I'd played first. My 51RI P-bass is coming up 3yrs with no signs of me letting it go yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 All three of my basses (My first, squire P. Needs a little repair work and has done since it was bought new!, Yamaha Attitude and Ibanez BTB 676) were bought unseen. Living in the hills where i do the selection of instruments is very very limited and i've been mostly lucky as has my brother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I`ve bought a fair few unseen, and sold them, however this is more due to me realising that the bass for me is the humble US Fender Precision, and those other basses weren`t US Precisions, so although they were good, they just weren`t right for me. I bought a US Precision off of Basschat last year unseen, and its a keeper. Unless I really get in the mire and need the money, its going nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I dont think I had ever seen a Warwick Thumb in the flesh before I got one off ebay for £750 a few years ago. I was always a bass I just knew I had to own, I'd been happily using Fenders and Stingrays for years. I had to drive a 300 mile round trip to pick it up and on seeing it was one of them moments you'll never forget. Daft innit? Its just a bloody bass! But I thought to myself, I've actually got one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 6 of the ones I have now were bought unseen, ! from Japan, 1 from Ebay, 2 from the usa, and 2 from Basschat. I have also bought a bunch more from the states that have gone to pastures new. I wouldnt do it so readily now unless it was from a known or reputable source, there are too many fakes around. Out of that lot, I had one which was in poor condition and I told the seller it was not as described and we compromised on the price. I was still a happy bunny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 [quote name='Sercet' post='1110088' date='Jan 31 2011, 08:44 PM']By "unseen", I really mean without playing them before buying. How many people here have bought a bass unseen and then kept it for several years? I've had a Rickenbacker C64 for 3 years. All the other unseens were sold within a year of purchase.[/quote] Most of the basses I've bought in the last 6 years were bought "unplayed" rather than unseen. None were bad basses by any stretch, but also none have been mass produced basses, so I've had to go by reputation and research. If I was going to by something more mass produced, I think I'd take my time trying a few, but then that's the luxury of buying mass produced instruments as they are far more widely available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I only tried the first bass I bought because that was in a shop. I've bought "unseen" ever since, because I haven't got a choice. There's damn all interesting up here in 'doom and I don't see that changing any time soon. The two music shops try to be all things to all people, and by all people the pecking order is guitarists, keyboard players, drummers, bassists. There's one bass for every four guitars. I buy them, I keep them if I like them and I sell them on if I don't. I always buy second hand as that minimises the losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I've done it once lately but that was with a maker I knew I could trust and at a price that I wouldn't loose out on. But, I wouldn't be doing that with the Hi St names for sure. Just my 2p... very picky with the feel of a bass, I'm afraid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 [quote name='Sercet' post='1110088' date='Jan 31 2011, 08:44 PM']By "unseen", I really mean without playing them before buying. How many people here have bought a bass unseen and then kept it for several years? I've had a Rickenbacker C64 for 3 years. All the other unseens were sold within a year of purchase.[/quote] A good few, and they've all been good. The Warwicks were the best for me, but they are going now and being replaced with a gorgeous CIJ CAR Jazz, also unplayed. Mind you I got measurements beforehand, like you would with any far eastern bride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 i wouldnt do it again..ive wasted thousands on basses ive bought unplayed,...i think unless you have a good idea of what it feels/sounds like your always taking a gamble.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Two basses. Got my Steinberger from ebay (German pawn shopI think ). Had to get a new jack put in , and a saddle made for it. Well worth the dosh. Got the Tele bass from a German shop (ebay again). Never saw anything like it at the time , and it gets great comments when anyone sees it. Nearly sold it last year, but am hanging onto it if I can affoird to do so . Iwould only do it again if the seller lived near me , or was a basschatter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I've always said that I wouldn't do it and I've also warned my daughter not to, however on two occasions I've ignored my own advice and put in last minute bids on ebay. Fortunately both purchases were good. The first a Yamaha Bex 4 which was lovely but now residing with another BC'er. Second was a G&L SB1 which is most certainly a keeper. I still look on ebay everyday just in case something special appears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I have done so frequently and my feedback thread tells a tale! I think you can be reasonably sure of better quality basses (for example, Sercet, I am sure I would love your Wals without even having picked them up!) but some Fenders I have owned have been very variable, including some allegedly 'higher-quality' US made ones (not the CS ones, incidentally, which have all been fab). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Bought LOADS of basses unseen/unplayed (yes I am a bassaholic and freely admit the fact )... infact of the 7 basses I presently own, only 1 did I play before I bought it. I've only ever really been disappointed when a seller (BCor eBay) has categorically stated that a bass has been a particular weight however when it has arrived it has been significantly not as described! I confess that had I tried the bass before hand then I'd have spotted that but living in the far North of the country it's difficult to try before you buy when the bass is 'darn Sarf'! I used to be a bit vague when asking questions and agreeing on the details of a distance sale but now that I have realised you have to be hard-nosed when buying long distance, I'm not afraid to say to someone; "if this isn't as described, it's coming back to you" and that generally sorts out the wheat from the chaff! I have to say that I won't deal with someone on BC who hasn't got a good feedback or at least integrity and the only good thing about eBay is that now the buyer has the upper-hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Some people seem to be comfortable buying unseen but I always like to 'try before buy'. Luckily, living in the Midlands means that wherever I need to travel to to try something out, I rarely need to travel for more than a few hours to get to where an instrument is located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manwithaxe Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Got a TOKIA thunderbird before I had even played one. Brought it as a project to custom up a little. Ought to drop a picture on here at some point of what it looks like. Anyway, damn fine bass. Plays VERY well. Only issue would be a slighty poor paint finish (a little rough in places). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I've had mixed results. Mostly disappointment from unplayed basses off Ebay so learned my lessons the hard way. I will probably never buy another unplayed bass now because I've got as close to my perfect sound as I feel I'm likely to get. It will take something truly exceptional to take the place of the natural Spector. Or maybe something highly collectable...in which case the sound will be less important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='silddx' post='1110149' date='Jan 31 2011, 09:10 PM']Mind you I got measurements beforehand, like you would with any far eastern bride [/quote] My ACG was obviously unplayed and my P bass was an internet order (saved £100) then spent £100 on a BAII and SD1/4lb total cost £450... What would it be now!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Pretty much every bass I've owned, I think. So far I haven't ended up with a stinker, but I'd be reluctant to do it in future without the chance of being able to return it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manwithaxe Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 [quote name='manwithaxe' post='1110592' date='Feb 1 2011, 07:57 AM']Got a TOKIA thunderbird before I had even played one. Brought it as a project to custom up a little. Ought to drop a picture on here at some point of what it looks like. Anyway, damn fine bass. Plays VERY well. Only issue would be a slighty poor paint finish (a little rough in places).[/quote] Sad (I know) but here are a couple of pics....... [attachment=70619:IMG_0113.jpg][attachment=70620:IMG_0115.JPG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sercet Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 For the last three years I have wanted the Rickenbacker C64S. I played one yesterday, I don't want one anymore. I would have been so disappointed if I had bought one mail order. I think we need more bass chat gatherings so we can try out lots of basses and consume the desire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Over here the selection in shops is pretty crap so if you want to play anything other than a Fender, Ibanez or Cort you've got to be a little adventurous, I bought a second hand Bacchus 5er from Japan unseen, it was so good I bought another 5er, a P and three Bacchus guitars. Only sold one, the second 5er, because I wasn't comfortable enough with the slab body, the rest I will keep for life. I traded for a couple of Godlyke basses here and, again, I love them. They're keepers for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I bought my Lakland off eBay so I guess I qualify. The bloke I bought from was selling several high end basses so he could fund 2 custom basses from Jeff Finch, so I was pretty sure he was a genuine guy and that the sale was going to go well. If you're going to buy anything unseen you have to do your homework. I had been looking at Lakland for a long time and had read dozens of positive reviews. They were right, it's a great instrument. I've played it for 8 years, getting on for 800 gigs. I don’t seem to be as finicky as some but I've never regretted buying this bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyl Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Does it always matter whether you've "seen" the bass before buying? Gear always sounds different in a live musical situation than in a music shop or living room. I'm a big fan of buying and gigging gear before deciding if it's a "keeper". As long as you don't pay over the odds in the first place, you can always put back on Basschat if it doesn't work out! Having said that, I once bought a 5-string double bass off ebay that was virtually unplayable. Before I had chance to do anything about it the neck broke off. Still managed to sell the bits as a project and didn't loose too much though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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